A cross they’ll have to bear?

Two people in my section yesterday tried to start the old swimming pool cheer of “MARCO … SCUTARO.” It didn’t take — you can hardly expect A’s fans to cheer for someone from the visiting team — but it occurred to me that Marco is probably more personally popular than any current A’s player.

That sentiment was reinforced by this Scott Ostler column today about Marco, and how his friends on the A’s grounds crew made him a crucifix necklace to replace the one he broke sliding Friday night.

There’s no way Scutaro can keep up an OPS 150+ points higher than in ’07 and ’08 for a full season — right? — but still, it’s more than a little ironic that the a player who was traded for guys named Kristian Bell and Graham Godfrey is doing much better than anyone the A’s have at his positions.

If things are still bleak when Toronto returns on July 31, fans might consider reviving that swimming pool cheer to tweak the A’s management. That trade is turning into a cross they’ll have to bear.